It was 37 degrees when I went for my walk this morning! The cold came right up through the soles of my shoes and froze my toze. And ankles. Up higher, it also froze my noze and earlobze. There was just enough wind to whisk away whatever body heat had accumulated underneath my jacket. I was very glad to get back inside.

Now that the olive tree in front of the house has been trimmed back, Callie is nearly an indoor cat. I still keep the upstairs bathroom window cracked open for her. If I don't, she moans and complains until I do. She can go out on the roof, but can no longer jump to a tree branch and go to the ground.

I'm just as glad for that, though she is quite annoyed about it. She is 17 now, and slowing down. I've worried about her falling prey to the local coyotes. You'd think in an area as heavily populated as ours that there wouldn't be four-footed predators, but there are. They den in a local park, most probably. I've seen them early in the morning on the prowl. In winter their natural prey (squirrels and such) are much reduced, so our pets are more at risk.

Lovely and sunny today, but cold. Time to dig out the wool sweaters and heavy socks. Yay for winter!